App-based tool quantifies pesticide toxicity in watersheds, identifies mitigation opportunities

<h2>Watershed Applied Toxicity: Quantifying Pesticide Toxicity in Aquatic Environments</h2>

<p>Pesticides pose a significant risk to aquatic environments, contributing to chemical hazards. In a groundbreaking study by Nicol Parker and Arturo A. Keller at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and their colleagues, a new tool has been developed to assess toxicity at a high resolution. Their research suggests that by targeting a few specific pesticides in certain watersheds, it is possible to significantly reduce aquatic toxicity in California's agricultural centers.</p>

<h3>The Environmental Release Tool: Assessing Pesticide Applications</h3>

<p>One of the main challenges in reducing pesticide toxicity in watersheds is the ability to accurately measure pesticide use, toxicity, and impacts over spatial and temporal scales. To address this issue, the authors created the Environmental Release Tool (ERT) using data from the US Geological Survey. The ERT is an innovative web and desktop application that provides a summary of pesticide applications and toxicity on a watershed basis.</p>

<p>In their analysis, the researchers utilized the ERT to evaluate pesticide use in 140 California watersheds that receive agricultural pesticide applications. This tool successfully quantified the toxicity released to aquatic organisms in these areas, representing around 20% of the total pesticide mass used in the United States and covering a vast range of agricultural commodities.</p>

<h3>Identifying Target Areas for Mitigation</h3>

<p>The study's findings revealed that by focusing on just two specific pesticides and sixteen site types, it is possible to mitigate approximately 90% of applied toxicity to fish, aquatic invertebrates, nonvascular aquatic plants, and vascular aquatic plants in California's agricultural landscapes. Moreover, the researchers discovered that 80% of applied toxicity occurs in just 20% of agricultural watersheds. This indicates that targeting these high pesticide concentration areas could be highly effective in reducing overall chemical toxicity. However, it is important to note that the tool does not predict human health risks or ecological risks within the watershed. Its main purpose is to highlight opportunities for decreasing pesticide toxicity.</p>

<h3>Implications for Agricultural Management Strategies</h3>

<p>According to the authors, the Environmental Release Tool (ERT) offers an integrated framework for addressing pesticide toxicity. The results from this study demonstrate that the ERT can be a powerful tool for identifying environmental toxicity related to pesticide use and should be considered in future agricultural management strategies.</p>

<p>The authors also suggest that selecting less toxic pesticides for crops such as almonds and other nuts can significantly reduce overall applied toxicity in California and potentially worldwide.</p>

<h3>Further Details</h3>

<p>For more information and a detailed analysis of the research findings, please refer to the original article: "Leveraging high spatiotemporal resolution data of pesticides applied to agricultural fields in California to identify toxicity reduction opportunities" published in PLOS Water (DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000124).</p>

<h3>Citation</h3>

<p>Parker, N., Keller, A. A., & et al. (2023). "App-based tool quantifies pesticide toxicity in watersheds, identifies mitigation opportunities." Retrieved from <a href="https://phys.org/news/2023-08-app-based-tool-quantifies-pesticide-toxicity.html">https://phys.org/news/2023-08-app-based-tool-quantifies-pesticide-toxicity.html</a></p>

<b>Disclaimer:</b> This document is protected by copyright laws. Reproduction or distribution without written permission is prohibited. The content provided in this article is intended for informational purposes only.</pre></code>

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